Connector



Sept 12, 1939. w c, BUTTNER 2,172,863

CONNECTOR Filed June 14, 1937 ZSheets-Sheet 1 W52 m mums? fnvevzaor Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED s'ra'rlzs CONNECTOR William O. Buttner, Winnetka, Ill., assignor to The Bastian-Blessing 00., Chicago, Ill" a corp ration of Illinois Application June 14, 1937, Serial No. 148,005 7 Claims. (Cl. 22.1-73.5)

This invention relates to a connector which in one form may be used to connect a gas container with a passage or member into which the gas is intended to flow or pass.

It has for one object to provide in connection with such a connector automatic controlling means actuated in response to pressure or flow. Another object is to provide in a connectorof the type indicated an automatic control which, as an integral part of the connector, is operated to prevent an excess flow through the connector. Another object is,to provide in a connector of the type indicated automatic means for preventing back flow through the connector.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification and claims.

The invention may be used in connection with containers of any type. In the form shown it is particularly adapted for use in connection with 'a tank or' bottle of compressed or liquefied gas and serves to connect such a gas container with a system through which, the gas is to pass for use and the connector may be used in a variety of associations beside that indicated.

'I'heinvention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates in elevation one use for the connector in which two connectors are shown joining two tanks to amanii'old which leads to a system not illustrated; as its details form no essential part of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the connector assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the two endsof the connector with thetwo automatic controls and with parts broken away and parts omitted;

Figure4 is an elevation showing a modified form of connector in use; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view with parts in elevation showing the modified form of connector of Figure 4. I

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

I, l are tanks or bottles in which gas in any desired form or condition may be contained.

Frequently the gas is compressed to the point of liqueiication. Each tank has an outlet valve housing 2 from which a stem 3 projects, which stem may be operated in any desired manner to move a valve within the housing 2 to control the discharge of gas from the tank. Each outlet housing 2 has an interiorly threaded hollow connection-receiving portion 4 into which the connector of the present invention is received.

The connection comprises a tubular section 5 of any desired length. In one form as shown in Figures 1 and 2} the connector may have a loop 6 formed in it for purposes of adjustability and flexibility. The tubular member 5 of the con motor is received at one end in a member 1 which has an interior passage 8 formed in it, this passage being enlarged as at 9 to receive the tube 5. The passage may also be shaped to provide an interior gland l0 having a shoulder II. At its outer end it may be enlarged and interlorly threaded as at I2 to receive a check valve which will be described below. The member 1 is also shouldered as at 13. Against this shoulder the reduced exteriorly threaded portion ll of an attaching nut I5 rests. The free end of the member I may be given any desired shape but as here shown is rounded as at l6.

Within the passage 8 and partially within the threaded enlarged portion !2 is seated a check valve assembly arranged to remain closed until sufilcient pressure is exerted upon it to force it to open.' The valve assembly includes the followingparts: A central rod H which headed as at l8'carries a shoulder I9 against which one end of a compression spring 20 rests. This spring normally is helical and surrounds the rod l1. Positioned about the rod and spring is a generally tubular cage 2|, which at one end is mounted for relative rotation within a valve positioning part 22 which is exteriorly threaded as at 13 to engage the threads in the portion 12 of the passage within the member 1 and is cut away in part to permit fluid to pass into the interior of the valve assembly. At its opposite end the cage 2| may be rounded exteriorly as at 24 and be reduced in internal diameter to provide a shoulder 25 against which the opposite end of the spring 20 rests.

Positioned against a shoulder 26 on the rod I! is a valve member 21 secured to the rod to move with it. This valve member may be of any desired shape. As shown it is slightly bell-shaped and is provided on its inner face with a packing material 21a which is seated against the outer end of the cage 2| as shown in Figure 3. The valve cage 2| may be provided with an exterior shoulder or flange 28 and may have about its exterior and adjacent the shoulder 28 a packing material 29 which, when the valve assembly is in place, bears against the shoulder portion II to prevent leakage past the valve assembly. Ordinarily the valve is held closed by the compression spring 20, which, by bearing against the shoulder I! of the rod forces or holds it to the right as shown in Figure 3, and thus causes the valve 21, which is secured to the rod to move with it, to be seated upon the inner end of the valve cage. When suflicient pressure is exerted in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3, the valve will be lifted from its seat against the resistance of the spring 20 and fluid may pass through the valve, through the bore 8 of the member I and through the tube 5 toward its opposite end.

At the end of the tube 5 opposite the valve assembly just described is positioned a member 30 which is provided with an internal bore 3| which may be enlarged as at 32 to receive an end of the tubular section 5. The bore 3| may be reduced as at 33 to provide one or more shoulders 34 and 35. It is to-be noted that the shoulder 35 is tapered. The shoulders may be omitted but for some purposes they assist in setting and retaining in place the valve assembly which will be described below. The member 30 may be provided adjacent its outer or free end with an interiorly threaded enlargement 36 of the bore 3| and this enlargement may be rounded or otherwise shaped as at 31 for attachment to the parts which it engages in use. The exterior of the member 30 is preferably shaped to provide a shoulder 38.

Positioned about the member 30 and normally engaging at one end the shoulder 38 is an exteriorly threaded attaching member 39 which carries a nut 4|], the two being normally made integrally. Within the bore of the member 30 is positioned a valve assembly which includes the following parts: A rod 4|, headed as at 42 and having mounted about it for rotation a hollow, exteriorly threaded assembly-seating member 43 which is in part cut away to permit fluid to pass to or from the interior of the valve assembly. A preferably helical compression spring 44 is positioned about the rod 4| and bears at one end upon the interior of the assembly-seating member 43. The spring bears at its opposite end upon a shoulder 45 formed on the rod 4|.

A valve member 46 which may be bell-shaped.

as shown, is'secured to the rod 4| to move with it and may have on its inner face a compression or packing means 41. Surrounding the rod 4| and the spring 44 is a tubular valve cage member 48. sembly-seating member 43 and the two are joined together to permit relative rotation. The cage is interiorly shouldered as at 49 and may be rounded or tapered on its free end as at 50' to contact the valve 46 and particularly to contact the packing portion 41 of that valve. The cage 48 may have an exterior shoulder or flange 5| adjacent which, on the exterior of the cage isprovided a quantity of packing material 52. When the valve assembly is seated as shown in Figure 3, this packing material contacts the tapered shoulder 35 and prevents leakage past the valve assembly. Ordinarily the spring 44 holds the valve open as shown in Figure 3. When fluid flows through the valve assembly in excess quantities or at excess speeds, the-spring yields at a predetermined point and permits the valve to close. Thereafter the discharge of fluid through the valve is prevented and thus the valve assembly just described serves as an automatic excess flow check valve.

While the connector in the form shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 may be used in any association in which it is desired to provide a connector As shown it is engaged within the ashaving a pressure check valve or a. flow check valve or both, one important use of such a connector is in the association shown. It may be used where there is but, a single tank or where more than one tank is used. As shown it is applied to a double tank installation in which two tanks are normally installed to be used one at a time, it being normally connected to the system to which the gas is supplied, one at a time, one being connected until exhausted, that one then being disconnected and the other connected. Sometimes it happens that when one has been exhausted the other is connected without disconnecting the first and fluid'under pressure from the second might then flow into the exhausted tank. The pressure check valve in the connector prevents this since that end of the connector which carries the pressure check valve is attached to,the tank. Unless there is pressure within the tank sufficient to open the pressure check valve, it will remain closed under the influence of the spring 20 and when the first tank has become emptied, there will.not be suflicient pressure in it to open the valve and back pressure from the second tank cannot flow into the first or empty tank even though a careless operator may omit to close the valve within the housing 2 of the'flrst tank.

Where two' tanks are used, as shown, each connector is joined to the manifold 53. The manifold is preferably without any internal controlling parts and merely provides a means for joining two connectors to a single connection 54 to the manifold or directly to the regulator. or

in case no regulator is used, to some other point of attachment to the system to which the gas is conducted.

One purpose of the excess flow check valve is to prevent the loss or escape of gas should something happen in the system to cause sudden diminution of pressure or sudden escape of gas. Thus, for example, if the gas is connected to a house system, should a break occur in that system which would permit the gas to flow excessively through the system, the excess flow check valve will be closed by this excess flow. When the flow rises to a predetermined point the resistance of the spring-44 is overcome and the valve member 46 is seated and further flow'is prevented.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of the connector. It is generally the same as that described above but is primarily designed for use in connection with a single tank system and instead of mounting the pressure check valve and the excess flow valve at opposite ends of the connector, they are mounted relatively closer together in a member which is preferably rigid and to one end of which a flexible hose or conduit may be attached. In installations of this sort, when the tank has been exhausted and a new tank is to be put into use,the exhausted tank is frequently-disconnected and the operator fails to operate the valve which would prevent back flow of gas out of the system, and during the interval of changing tanks such back flow 2,172,ses

occurs and pressure within the system is re.- duced to a point at which the system may fail or at which pilot lights or other flames may go out. In this use of the device, therefore, the pressure check valve not merely prevents the improper discharge of the gas but prevents discharge of the gas from the system. The same advantage occurs in the use described in connection with Figures 1, 2 and 3 as well but this advantage is more important in a single tank use wherein, when the operator shifts from one tank to another, the connector is for a period engaged to no tank at all.

In Figure 4 a single tank i such as that shown in Figure 1 is used and it is provided with similar valve housing and control means. The connector includes an interior tubular member 51 having a bore 58, enlarged and interiorly threaded as at 59 at one end and also enlarged and interiorly threaded as at 80 at the other end. One or more glands 6| may be provided to produce shoulders 62 and 63 which latter is tapered. A similar arrangement of shoulders may be provided at the opposite end of the member 51. This member is preferably enlarged and exteriorly rounded as at 64 and a shoulder 65 is provided adjacent the enlargement. It may be shaped on itsexterior as at its opposite end to provide a series of tapering portions 66 providing shoulders 61 to receive a. flexible tube 68 which may have a metallic or other reinforcing portion 69 enclosing it, at each end. The hose 68 or the reinforcing member 69, if one is used, will normally abut against a shoulder 10 formed in the member 51.

Positioned about the member Sland preferably bearing at one end against the shoulder 65 is an exteriorly threaded engaging nipple ll having a nut portion 12 formed preferably integrally with it. At its opposite end the hose 68 carries an exteriorly threaded connector 13 which has a nut portion 14. As shown in Figure Q the'connector 13 engages a connection [6 which leads to a regulator 16 from which gaspasses through a conduit II. The connector may be used, of course, in an installation where there is no regulator.

Positioned within the member 51 at its outer or free end, is a pressurecheck valve which as shown is identical with the pressure check valve .shown in Figure 3 and described above in detail It need not bein connection with that figure. redescribed.

In the inner end of the member 51 is positioned an excess flow check valve which as shown is identical with that shown in Figure 3 and described in detail in connection with that figure. It is not necessary to redescribe it.

It will be obvious that the two forms of the device do not show all possible forms or details of such connectors, and the invention is not to be limited to the particular association or arrangement shown. The pressure check valves and the excess flow check valves might be of almost any desired form or shape, those shown merely being convenient and effective. The invention is not limited to any particular details of valve construction. Any pressure check valve and any excess flow check valve which can be fitted into the installation and which will operate to accomplish its purpose are within the contemplation of the invention.

Where in the specification and claims the expression excess flow" is used, it is intended to mean a quantity or'speed of flow above that normally occurring in the system when operating properly or safely. It is recognized that in any makestoppage desirable.

system involving the passage of a fluid there are certain normal flow conditions from which some deviation will normally occur and with respect to which deviations no particular provision may be made, but if the deviations in flow conditions are sumcient they may cause undesired results. Thus, if the amount or speed of flow is sufliciently above the normal, it may be dangerous and one of the objects of the present invention-is to provide' means for stopping it or for stopping the flow when it varies from the normal sufficiently to It is in this sense that the expression excess flow used herewith is to be understood.

I claim:

1. A fluid flow control assembly, comprising, in combination in a connector, a passage-forming member, having an intake end and an outlet end, a pressure check valve positioned within said passage fcrming member to be affected by pressure therethrough from the inlet end thereof, for opening, and an excess flow checkvalve positioned within said passage forming member beyond said pressure check valve away from the inlet end of sa d connector.

2. A fluid flow control assembly, comprising, in combination in an elongated, flexible connector, a passage-forming member, having an intake end and an outlet end, a pressure check valve positioned within said passage-forming member to be affected by pressure therethrough exerted from the inlet end thereof, for opening, and an excess flow check valve positioned beyond said pressure check valve away from the inlet end of said connector, means within said last mentioned valve normally to hold it open, said means adapted to yield at a predetermined point in response to excess flow to close said excess flow valve.

3. A fluid flow control assembly, comprising, in combination in an elongated, flexible connector. a passage-forming member, having an intake end and an outlet end, a pressure check valve positioned within said passage-forming member to be affected by pressure therethrough, said pressure check valve including yielding means tending to hold it closed and adapted to open upon being subjected to a pressure above a predetermined minimum to allow.flow therethrough, and an excess flow check valve positioned beyond said pressure check valve away from the inlet end of said connector.

4. In combination a unitary connector assembly, a. relatively bendable passageforming member, having an intake end and an outlet end, a

pressure check valve positioned and adapted in said passage-forming member to be affected by pressure therethrough to be opened by pressure from the inlet end and to be closed by pressure from the outlet end and an excess flow checkvalve positioned in said passage-forming member beyond said pressure check valve away frointhe inlet end of said connector, means within said last mentioned valve normally to hold it open, said means adapted to yield at a predetermined point in response to excess flow throughsaid passageforming member toward its outlet end.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary end. i

6. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary conduit control assembly comprising a relatively flexible conduit means having an inlet and an outlet end, a connection member secured to each end of said conduit, and attaching means mounted about each of said connection means for rotation with respect thereto, a pressure check valve positioned adjacent said inlet end of said conduit, and means within said pressure check valve tending normally to hold it closed, and adapted to allow it to open upon the occurrence of a predetermined amount of pressure, an excess flow check valve adjacent the other end of said conduit means positioned within the other connection means, and means within said excess flow check valve tending normally to hold it open, and adapted to yield to permit the valve to close upon the occurrence oi. excess flow conditions beyond a predetermined point.

7. In a gas dispensing system, a plurality of containers, a manifold, a single discharge from said manifold, a plurality of inlets for said manitold, one for each container, connections from eachof said containers to said manifold, said connections comprising relatively flexible conduit members and means for attaching one end of each connection to a rece'ptacle and the other end 01. 1 each connection to said manifold, a check valve and an excess fiow.valve in each of said connections, means in the check valve tending normally to close it and adapted to yield for opening upon a predetermined pressure from the receptacle to 1 which it is joined, and means in the excess flow check valve tending normally to hold it open, said lastmentioned means being adapted to yield to close uponthe occurrence of pressure above the predetermined limit from the container to which 2 it is connected.

WIILIAM C. BU'I'INER. 

